Google Camera update brings double-tap to zoom feature

With every new major Android version update comes a slew of new features. The main differences that might actually sell you are its high-end build quality, camera quality and one other neat trick that we've heard murmurs about.

Android users are often left wanting more when it comes to their phone's camera. Android O, Google's upcoming software release, most notably brings support for notification channels, picture-in-picture mode, autofill managers, and background limitations on apps.

Android Things is a minimal version of Android, intended to power Internet of Things devices (like smart appliances). The next version of Android in particular seems to be rectifying many Bluetooth related complaints people have been having. Google recommends to developers that future IoT applications should target API 26 "to work correctly on the platform with our support libraries". First off, you can still use the initial method of swiping to move between the picture and video capture functions, but Google has also now added in a button next to the shutter button for video capture, so swiping won't be necessary if it will be easier for you to simply tap a button to enable video recording. But only now has Google finally decided to implement the feature. The latest release makes "a number of UX improvements to the console to improve usability and functionality", says Google. In addition, Intel Edison and Joule boards will no longer be supported, as Intel is discontinuing them.

Since this is still a Developer Preview, there are a few known bugs.

Even if the Moto X4 doesn't come to Project Fi, it still seems to be a phone that's well worth your consideration.

In any case, we're glad to finally see Google adding support for a feature that users have been asking for since the past 8 years. You double tap on the viewfinder when in the camera app in either the photo or video mode and it will zoom in by 50 percent, while double tapping again will zoom back out to the normal setting. It's available to anyone with Nexus and Pixel devices using Android 7.1.1 and above.